Apparatus for cleaning vertical blinds

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for cleaning vertical blinds comprising 
     a basket for receiving a rolled vertical blind, the basket comprising a lid, at least one of the basket and lid comprising an aperture to allow ingress of water; and, 
     a core within the basket and adapted to move freely within the basket.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning vertical blinds. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning vertical blinds comprising a basket for receiving a rolled blind and a weighted core within the basket which is able to move freely within the basket.

Vertical blinds are a common type of blind. The component parts of a vertical blind comprise a hanging head rail with a pulley system attached. From this head rail hangers allow strips of blind material to be hung. These strips of material are weighted and chained together at the bottom.

Increasingly, vertical blind material is being specifically manufactured in order to be better washed and cleaned. Indeed many window blind sellers and manufacturers are marketing this washability as an important feature of the blinds.

Apparatus for washing blinds is known. GB2444478A discloses a vertical blind cleaner. The apparatus disclosed in this document comprises a basket having a central upstanding post. In use the blind is wrapped around the post and clipped in place and the basket then inserted into the drum of a washing machine. Such an apparatus is only partially successful in cleaning blinds. Because the blinds are pinned to the central column they are not sufficiently agitated during washing to effectively clean the blinds.

The apparatus according to the invention seeks to overcome the problems of the prior art.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an apparatus for cleaning vertical blinds comprising

-   -   a basket for receiving a rolled vertical blind, the basket         comprising a lid, at least one of the basket and lid comprising         an aperture to allow ingress of water; and,     -   a core within the basket and adapted to move freely within the         basket.

In use the vertical blind is rolled and fitted within the basket. The core is placed within the roll and the apparatus placed in the drum of the washing machine. Motion of the basket causes the core to move within the basket so agitating and effectively cleaning the blinds.

Preferably, the basket is cylindrical.

The basket can comprise a base and at least one side wall extending between base and lid, at least a portion of the at least one side wall comprising a mesh having a plurality of apertures to allow the ingress of water.

At least a portion of the core can be an open spiral.

Preferably, the core is cylindrical

Preferably, the core comprises at least one weight.

The at least one weight can be fixedly connected to the remainder of the core.

The core can comprise a hollow portion.

At least one weight can be arranged within the hollow portion.

The at least one weight can be a ball.

The at least one weight can comprise a plurality of balls.

The wall of the hollow portion can comprise a slot for receiving the end of the blind.

The apparatus can comprise at least one tilting arm extending outwardly from the basket.

The apparatus can comprise an outer casing containing the basket.

The outer casing can be any of cubic, rhomboid, pyramidal or star shaped.

The outer casing can be spherical

The apparatus can comprise at least one tilting arm extending outwardly from the outer casing.

The apparatus can further comprise a fixing means for fixing the blind to the core, preferably a clip.

The fixing means can be arranged in the hollow portion.

The present invention will now be described by way of example only, and not in any limitative sense, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which

FIGS. 1( a) and 1(b) show a first embodiment of an apparatus for cleaning vertical blinds according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows the apparatus of FIGS. 1( a) and 1(b) in cross section containing a blind roll;

FIG. 3 shows a weighted core of an apparatus according to the invention in cross section;

FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 6 shows the core of a further embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention from above; and,

FIG. 7 shows the core of a further embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention from above.

Shown in FIG. 1 is a first embodiment of an apparatus 1 for cleaning vertical blinds according to the invention. The apparatus 1 comprises a cylindrical basket 2 having a base 3, a lid 4 and a cylindrical side wall 5 extending therebetween. The side wall 5 is a mesh comprising a plurality of apertures to allow the ingress of water into the basket 2. The lid 4 can be unscrewed from the basket 2 to allow items to be added or removed from the basket 2.

The apparatus 1 further comprises a weighted core 6 within the basket 2. The weighted core 6 is a hollow cylinder again having a base 7 and a lid 8 and a curved side wall 9 extending therebetween. The side wall 9 is a mesh comprising a plurality of apertures to allow ingress of water. The core lid 8 is screwed into engagement with the core side wall 9.

The weighted core 6 comprises a hollow portion which in this embodiment comprises substantially the entirety of the inside of the weighted core 6. Arranged within the hollow portion is a plurality of weights 10. In this embodiment the weights are weighted spheres 10. The weights 10 are free to move inside the hollow portion.

In use the lid 4 is removed from the basket 2. One or more vertical blinds 11 are rolled into a roll 12 and then arranged in the basket 2. The blind roll 12 is arranged such that the outer face of the blind roll 12 is substantially parallel to the inner curved face of the side wall 5 of the basket 2. The weighted spheres 10 are arranged in the hollow portion of the core 6 and the core lid closed. The weighted core 6 is then placed in the center of the blind roll 12 substantially parallel to the basket 2 and the basket lid 4 closed. The arrangement of basket 2, blind roll 12 and weighted core 6 is shown in cross section in FIG. 2.

The apparatus 1 is then placed in the drum of a washing machine. As the drum turns during the washing cycle the weighted core 6 moves in the basket 2. The weighted core 6 abuts against the blind roll 12 so agitating the blinds increasing the effectiveness of the cleaning action.

A cylindrical basket 2 is to be preferred. The basket 2 is the same shape as the roll 12 and so as the roll 12 is urged against the side wall of the basket 2 by the weighted core 6 during washing the roll 12 does not become creased. Nonetheless, baskets 2 of other shapes are possible. Similarly, the preferred shape of the weighted core 6 is also cylindrical, again to reduce creasing of the blind roll 12 during washing. Again, other shapes of weighted core 6 are possible. In an alternative embodiment of the invention the weighted core 6 is a bag containing the weights 10. The bag could be closed by a draw string, or a zipper or other closure means.

In the above described embodiment the entirety of the curved side wall 5 of the basket 2 comprises a mesh. In an alternative embodiment only a portion of the side wall 5 is meshed and the remainder is solid. In an alternative embodiment of the invention rather than comprising a mesh the side wall 5 comprises one or more apertures to allow the ingress of water. In further alternative embodiment of the invention at least one of the lid 4 or base 7 comprises apertures, preferably in the form of a mesh.

The basket 2 can be made from a resiliently deformable material. The basket 2 can be a plastics, wood or meshing material.

In an alternative embodiment the basket 2 of the apparatus 1 according to the invention comprises an internal rim (not shown) that secures and shapes the vertical blinds whilst being washed.

In the above embodiment the fastening mechanism between lid 4 and basket 2 comprises a screw fastening mechanism. In alternative embodiments alternative fastening mechanisms are possible. The fastening mechanism can for example be a buckle type fastening, a snap on fastening or a draw string type fastening.

As to the weighted core 6, again a number of variants are possible. The core 6 could be made from a plastics material or a material mesh. In the above embodiment the core 6 is porous allowing the ingress of water. In alternative embodiments the core 6 is non porous. The weighted balls 10 within the core 6 could be hollow, they could be of different sizes and/or shapes.

A number of different fastening mechanisms for fastening the lid 8 of the core to the core body are possible. As alternatives to the above described screw fixing, the fixing mechanism could be a buckle type fastening, a snap on fastening or draw string type fastening.

Shown in FIG. 3 is a weighted core 6 of an alternative embodiment of the invention, shown in cross section. In this embodiment the weighted core 6 is again cylindrical. The weighted core 6 comprises weights 10 at the ends of the cylinder. In contrast to the embodiment of FIG. 1 the weights 10 are in fixed relation to the remainder of the core 6.

A further embodiment of an apparatus 1 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 4. In this embodiment the basket 2 is received in an outer casing 13. In this embodiment the outer casing 13 is cubic. During the washing cycle the outer casing 13 is rotated by the washing drum, so rotating the basket 2. This increases the agitation of the blinds so increasing the washing efficiency.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention the outer casing 13 is star shaped. The irregular shape of the outer casing 13 promotes rotation of the basket 2 during washing. In a further embodiment of the invention the outer casing 13 is pyramidal. In a further embodiment it is rhomboid. In a further embodiment it is spherical.

Shown in FIG. 5 is a further embodiment of an apparatus 1 the invention. In this embodiment a plurality of tilting arms 14 extend from the basket 2. The tilting arms 14 again promote rotation of the basket 2 during washing. In embodiments which comprise a casing 13, the tilting arms 14 extend from the casing 13.

The basket 2 may be rigid or alternatively may be collapsible.

In all of the above embodiments the core 6 is weighted ie includes one or more weights to increase its mass. In alternative embodiments of the invention the core 6 does not include weights, rather the weight of the core 6 as a whole is sufficient to provide the required agitation.

Shown in FIG. 6 is the core 6 of a further embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention viewed from above. In this embodiment the core 6 comprises a slot 15 for receiving the end of a blind. A fixing means 16 is arranged within the core for fixing the end of the blind to the core 6. In this embodiment the fixing means 16 is a clip.

Shown in FIG. 7 is a core 6 of a further embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention from above. The core 6 is an open spiral. In use the blind is trapped by the spiral. 

1. An apparatus for cleaning vertical blinds comprising: a basket for receiving a rolled vertical blind, the basket comprising a lid, at least one of the basket and the lid comprising an aperture to allow ingress of water; and a core within the basket and adapted to move freely within the basket.
 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the basket is cylindrical.
 3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the basket comprises a base and at least one side wall extending between the base and the lid, at least a portion of the at least one side wall comprising a mesh having a plurality of apertures to allow the ingress of water.
 4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the core is an open spiral.
 5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the core is cylindrical.
 6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the core comprises at least one weight.
 7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one weight is fixedly connected to a remainder of the core.
 8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the core comprises a hollow portion.
 9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein at least one weight is arranged within the hollow portion.
 10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one weight is a ball.
 11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one weight comprises a plurality of balls.
 12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein a wall of the hollow portion comprises a slot for receiving an end of a blind.
 13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one tilting arm extending outwardly from the basket.
 14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an outer casing containing the basket.
 15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the outer casing is any of cubic, rhomboid, pyramidal or star shaped.
 16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the outer casing is spherical.
 17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, further comprising at least one tilting arm extending outwardly from the outer casing.
 18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a fixing means for fixing a blind to the core, preferably a
 19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the fixing means is arranged in a hollow portion of the core.
 20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the fixing means is a clip. 